House of War

The Pentagon and the Disastrous Rise of American Power

By: James Carroll

Narrated by: James Carroll

In House of War, the bestselling author James Carroll has created a history of the Pentagon that is both epic and personal. Through Carroll we see how the Pentagon, since its founding, has operated beyond the control of any force in government or society, undermining the very national security it is sworn to protect.From its "birth" on September 11, 1941, through the nuclear buildup of the Cold War and the eventual "shock and awe" of Iraq, Carroll recounts how "the Building" and its officials have achieved what President Eisenhower called "a disastrous rise of misplaced power."

This is not faded history. House of War offers a compelling account of the virtues and follies that led America to permanently, and tragically, define itself around war. Carroll shows how the consequences of the American response to September 11, 2001 -– including two wars and an ignited Middle East -– form one end of an arc that stretches from Donald Rumsfeld back to James Forrestal, the first man to occupy the office of secretary of defense in the Pentagon. House of War confronts this dark past so we may understand the current war and forestall the next.©2006 James Carroll; (P)2006 Random House, Inc.

Worthy reading ... with your eyes.

I rate the book 5 stars and the reader 1 star.

Thoroughly interesting history, well reasearched and written. Quite comprehensive on topic. Should have wide appeal. Mostly objective, though writer loses it over the Vietnam war protesters.

Although the author has a strong reading voice, his stacato phrasing is often inappropriate to the meaning and becomes almost unbearable to listen to. I would have preferred to read the print version, but I had already purchased the audio.

I expected more

It's about time somebody wrote a comprehensive history of the war machine that has dominated American policy for over half a century. Carroll is uniquely qualified since his father, General Carrol was the first head of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Sadly, this insiders look suffers from myopia - he gets the broad outlines correct and there is a lot of info you never knew before, but the big picture is missing. Also, the author narrates in a style that is best described as measured. Every - word - is - stated - with - precision. It's difficult to listen to. And he keeps on bringing in his personal life - he was in the seminary when he went to his first war protest rally in 1967 and we get a description of the loose-fitting but revealing clothes worn by the female protestors.
I had high hopes - maybe too high. It's worth reading though.